Anatoly Kucherena, the Russian lawyer advising Snowden, said that the NSA whistleblower is staying in the transit zone "for now" and "intends to stay in Russia, study Russian culture," AP reports. Kucherena said that migration officials are still looking at the asylum request and that the process had been drawn out.

It's worth remembering what the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said earlier this month about the prospect of Snowden being granted asylum in Russia:

If he wants to go somewhere and someone will take him, go ahead. If he wants to stay here, there is one condition – he must stop his work aimed at bringing harm to our American partners, as strange as that sounds coming from my mouth.

It says it takes about 30 minutes to get from one end of the clean zone to the othe. Ria Novosti says there are more than 19 duty free stores, more than 20 cafes and more than 10 toilets in the zone, adding – tongue-in-cheek – that there is possibly one CIA agent.

Leaker Edward Snowden has been caught in legal limbo in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since his arrival from Hong Kong. Photograph: Sergei Grits/AP

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the National Security Agency whistleblower is expected to meet his lawyer at Sheremetyevo airport later on Wednesday after lodging a request for temporary asylum in Russia. Immigration officials declined to comment.

The former US spy agency contractor is wanted by the US for leaking details of government intelligence programmes but is attempting to negotiate asylum. He has been in the transit area of Sheremetyevo airport since flying to Russia from Hong Kong.

Snowden has said he will request asylum in Russia until he is permitted to travel to Latin America. Venezuela has offered him political asylum but he remains unable to travel there without travel documents.

The US has lobbied governments around the world to refuse entry to Snowden, and has invalidated his US passport.